The present invention relates to an inflatable apparatus for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a side impact to the vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates away from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle in the event of a side impact or rollover. A known inflatable curtain is inflated from a deflated condition by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant. The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device comprises an inflatable front portion and an inflatable rear portion. The front and rear portions are partially separated by a slit that extends through the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
The apparatus also comprises an inflation fluid source and a slider assembly. The inflation fluid source provides inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The slider assembly is connected to the vehicle side structure. A flexible elongated member has a first end connected to the front portion, at a first location on the front portion, and an opposite second end connected to the slider assembly.
The slit is positioned between the first location and the slider assembly when the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated. The flexible elongated member extends across the slit when the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is inflated.